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Accuracy of Inflammatory Biomarkers for Ruling out Invasive Bacterial Infections in Young Febrile Infants

Carlsson, Ebba Nordström ; Ansorge, Julie and Orfanos, Ioannis LU orcid (2025) In Acta Pædiatrica p.1-7
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to rule out invasive bacterial infections (IBI) in well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days.

METHODS: Multicentre study of infants ≤ 60 days with fever without source. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of ANC, CRP and PCT.

RESULTS: We included 2053 well-appearing infants. The sensitivity of PCT > 0.5 ng/mL was 83% (95% CI, 45%-99%), the specificity was 90% (95% CI, 88%-92%), the PPV was 7.4% (95% CI 2.7-15.1) and the NPV was 99.8% (95% CI 99.2-100). The sensitivity of CRP > 20 mg/L was 63% (95% CI, 43%-50%) and... (More)

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to rule out invasive bacterial infections (IBI) in well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days.

METHODS: Multicentre study of infants ≤ 60 days with fever without source. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of ANC, CRP and PCT.

RESULTS: We included 2053 well-appearing infants. The sensitivity of PCT > 0.5 ng/mL was 83% (95% CI, 45%-99%), the specificity was 90% (95% CI, 88%-92%), the PPV was 7.4% (95% CI 2.7-15.1) and the NPV was 99.8% (95% CI 99.2-100). The sensitivity of CRP > 20 mg/L was 63% (95% CI, 43%-50%) and of ANC > 4090/μL was 72% (95% CI, 50%-89%). There was 1 IBI with PCT ≤ 0.5 ng/mL and 9 IBIs with CRP ≤ 20 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS: Procalcitonin showed the highest accuracy for ruling out IBI in well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days. With a PCT cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL, CRP and ANC had no extra value in ruling out IBIs, while ANC had an added value with a CRP cutoff of 20 mg/L. The PPV of PCT > 0.5 ng/mL was low, which can lead to unnecessary investigations, antibiotic treatments and hospitalisations.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Acta Pædiatrica
pages
1 - 7
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:40568980
  • scopus:105009248716
ISSN
1651-2227
DOI
10.1111/apa.70201
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2025 The Author(s). Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.
id
3360817a-d197-4d7f-a903-0cc4d1ed8855
date added to LUP
2025-07-01 23:03:04
date last changed
2025-07-23 04:53:07
@article{3360817a-d197-4d7f-a903-0cc4d1ed8855,
  abstract     = {{<p>AIM: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to rule out invasive bacterial infections (IBI) in well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days.</p><p>METHODS: Multicentre study of infants ≤ 60 days with fever without source. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of ANC, CRP and PCT.</p><p>RESULTS: We included 2053 well-appearing infants. The sensitivity of PCT &gt; 0.5 ng/mL was 83% (95% CI, 45%-99%), the specificity was 90% (95% CI, 88%-92%), the PPV was 7.4% (95% CI 2.7-15.1) and the NPV was 99.8% (95% CI 99.2-100). The sensitivity of CRP &gt; 20 mg/L was 63% (95% CI, 43%-50%) and of ANC &gt; 4090/μL was 72% (95% CI, 50%-89%). There was 1 IBI with PCT ≤ 0.5 ng/mL and 9 IBIs with CRP ≤ 20 mg/L.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Procalcitonin showed the highest accuracy for ruling out IBI in well-appearing febrile infants aged ≤ 60 days. With a PCT cutoff of 0.5 ng/mL, CRP and ANC had no extra value in ruling out IBIs, while ANC had an added value with a CRP cutoff of 20 mg/L. The PPV of PCT &gt; 0.5 ng/mL was low, which can lead to unnecessary investigations, antibiotic treatments and hospitalisations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Carlsson, Ebba Nordström and Ansorge, Julie and Orfanos, Ioannis}},
  issn         = {{1651-2227}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{1--7}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Pædiatrica}},
  title        = {{Accuracy of Inflammatory Biomarkers for Ruling out Invasive Bacterial Infections in Young Febrile Infants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apa.70201}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/apa.70201}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}